Self-cleaning hutch



June 17, 1930.v C, COSPER 1,764,151

SELF CLEANING yHUTCH Filed Nov. 2l, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Vw El# II' l |1 I M W Il; y I W l I III I lill! A I l P A, [NVE/WOR K N 1 BY fea! {0f/f2' @Y ATTORNEY i June 17, 1930. C, CQSPER 1,764,151

SELF CLEANING HUTCH Fi1ed Nov. 21, 1928 s sheets-sheet 2 [NI/ENTOR M' ATTORNE-Y June 17, 1930. QsPER' 1,764,151

SELF l.CLEANING HUTCH Filei Nov. 2l, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Q l Qa? [ayer ATTORNEY til fil)

Patented .lune 17, 1936 SEUIL CSPE-R, 0F WALLA"WALLA, WASHINGTON SELF-CLEANNG HUTCH Application filed November 21, 1.928.v Serial No. 320,769.

This invention relates to hutches, for the care and housing of live stool; of the smaller variety, but primarily for the use of rabbits and stock of a like nature when raised for commercial purposes.

The word Crabbit will be used to designate such live stock throughout the specifications and the invention contemplates an improved hutch whereby the excessive eX- pense incident to rabbit raising is reduced to a profit showing balance by a combination of features, each relatively small in themselves but providing a result large in the aggregate. Y

lt has been said, and demonstrated, that labor is the greatest item of expense incident to this industry, overbalancing in many instances all the vother expenses. rlhis is logical when it is considered that labor has to do with all its phases: v

In health there must be precautionary measures against disease, cleanliness, ample air that is fresh, no drafts, uncontaminated food, fresh water, prevention of sore hooks,

7 and injury, sunlight etc., all directly responsible to labor;

ln disease isolation, disinfection, prevention of contagion, treatment, etc., also a responsibility of labor. In addition to this are the usual odds and ends which need not be mentioned here.

In considering the above items it may be summed up that with health disease is eliminated, hence the prime idea is to maintain i health, and to accomplish this it may well be smnmedv up in clean hutches, hutches that are clean to a degree that even the airrcirculating therethrough is uncontaminated and remains in its sun-purified condition.

Vilith the above in mind one of the objects of the invention is to provide a hutch that may be perfectly 'cleaned in a minimum of time and with a minimum of labor. Another object of the invention is to provide a hutch that is selffcleaning in the main;

A further object of the invention is to provide a hutch of relatively low cost of construction.

A further object of the invention is to provide a hutch. that will permity plenty of fresh air without draft. Y

A. further object of the invention is to, Y A' provide a hutch that4 will not harm the hooks. v

A further object of. the invention, is to provide a hutch that will. afford a` secure footing for the rabbit Y A further object of the invention is to provide a hutch in whichthe excretacannot be retained., 4tojcause the rabbit to have uncertain footing, to provide and spread disease, and to contaminate its air and its food; and r A further object. of the invention is to provide a hutch in which the exoreta are immediately removed uponpassing, to the Vfurtherance of health, and that will accunnb late the eXcreta in a manner harmless to the rabbit and convenient for use as a fertilizer.

lVith theser and other objects in 4view ref- .erence is now had to the accompanying drawings in which V Fig. l is a front elevation of hutches arranged in extended tiers, and showing one of the doors thereof removed; i

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of a hut, with part removed to show the end of the hutches; s i

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the hutches taken on the line-B-B of Fig. l;

Fig. 4t is a perspective view of one `ofthe hutches; v Y

Fig. 5 isa vertical section of a feed cup showing a securing means therefor;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the resting board, shown in relation to the` floor;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the scraper; Fig. 8 is a longitudinal cross section there- Fig. 9 is aside elevation of the lexcreta trough reduced; and" A Fig. l0 shows the application of the excreta trough as a roof for the lower hutches.

Having referenee'to the drawings like numerals refer to like parts throughout theseveral views and the numeral l refers to a hut which consists of end walls 2 having an entrance 3, a roof '4; extended to provide proininent and projecting eaves 5, with a door 6,

themfrom which the rabbits'may be given the necessary attention. Y Vlhehutches are preferably constructed in tiers 14 of two or three hutches high and the/tiers are extended, as shown inFig. l to practically the entire length of the hut.Y V i l This'is deemed the 'most economical karrangement as with a hut 60 feet long, and

with tierstwo hutches high, sixty hutches can be-housed therein and under the one roof.

yor withv tiers three highfninetyhutches can be economically housed. l K fr vDetails of constru'ctionare shown in Fig. 4 and with referencetothis ligure it will be noted that each hutch 12` consists of an outer wall 15 of wire screen, preferably secured to the inside of the outer'uprights 8; a ceiling `16 arranged to cover the hutch and to provide for an overhead air space'17 between it and thereof 4 of the hut; end partitions 18;

and a screen door 19 hingedto one of the inner'iuprights 10 and vconstructed in a manner to close between twoof said inner uprights, with any suitable means as a hook andceye 20, tos'ecure the door in the closed position and at the same time presenting nothing that will catchthe'clothes ofjthe attendant.

Completing the floor 21 firmly secured to the hutch in a manner toV prevent sagging and yet 4to, present a certain amount of inherent resiliency, the screen being preferably of rectangular mesh about 1/2 inch on its sides and of :#:17 gage wire thus providing resultant 'interstices much smaller than the rabbits foot and a gageof wirethat cannotcut the feet under the most Vtrying circumstances By the use of this'floor the excreta from the rabbit are never present to causethe rabbit to slip (with possible `bone fracture which has been known to occur) or to cause Y sore hocks, fromthe ammoniacontent, or to stain the fur, of animals raised for that product. As a `precautionary measure against 'injury from constant contact with the wire of thefloora resting board 22is providedir(see Fig. 8)".which consists-of small yboard AVof a size `suflicient to accomi'nofV A date the hocks and forefeet of the rabbit.

f The board is preferably left free of the floory and thus can be moved tothe place used by to -be explained.

hutch structure is a screen the rabbit vas a resting place, or to the placeV vapparently much enjoyed by the rabbit and the resting board being small and light in weight, will readily move with the movement ofthe resilient screeniioor. Where the board is of the size described it is found `that there are never any excreta left thereon and hence a resting board, used in combination with a resilient floor, is found to be an ideal combination.

been used hertofore, however, such Hoors formed part only of the entire floor with Screen floors are recognized as having wthe balance constructed of painted wood, or Y slats, and* at times sloping, with thescreen' part disposed to provide the toilet. In all cases the provisions made to receive the excreta in conjunction with such floors will permit a constant draft of air, of greater or less severityV to blow on the rabbit, which draft, which is detrimental to'health must n be prevented.y 7 I f To overcome this objectionl an excreta trough 23 is provided which trough extendsv throughoutthe length of the hutches and is provided with a fall to simplify cleaning. Y

The trough is preferably arcuate in cross section and provides sloping sides 24 although it 'is obvious that any formvinay be used, the purpose being to shape the trough so that thesolid matter will lodge in the where it first comes in contact with the trough, with another purpose in view, now

By this arrangement'damp placesy on any sloping portionl of the'trough are prone to rapid evaporation and will dry without sending olf' objectionablel vapors so prevalent in hutches constructed otherwise.

In addition to this the sidesV 24 vofV the .i l

iio

ytrough may be extended upward to meet and seal the floor or a panel 25 maybe utilized inl f its place to seal and to provide a dead'air space 26 between the trough V23 vand the floor r6, thereby positively preventing draft tothe rabbits, and without a movement of air over the deposited excreta'the odor there'- from is reduced to ar minimum, Y Where -the hutches are extended any considerable length the troughv 23' will fallin I two directions, as shownin Fig. -9 and in I any event 6 inches in BOfeet hasbeeii found to be the most-economical andndesirable fall,

this fall requiring only'about 10 inches of spacey between two' superimposed .hutches,

permitting assembling three hutchesvv'of 1S inches height each,fin a tier, bringing'the e' Y bottom of the'top hutch 51/2 feet from-the;

ioor ofv the` hut, a convenient working height Y for the average attendant. j

Fig. 3.

This arrangement also breaks the side wall '7 of the hut by closing that portion of the Wall adjacent 'to the 'side of, the trough, thus closing all the outerwall except at the hutches. Hence the space 17 above the ceiling 16 of the top hutch, and the dead air space 26 above the trough providing a similar space above the next loiver hutch, and finally -with the dead air space belouv the bottom hutch and the partly closed side Walls it is evident 'that little draft can possibly occur, and 'that with the doors of the hut closed no further protection against climatic conditions Would be necessary even in the most severe Wint-er Weather.

With all the outer Wall closed, as abe-ve mentioned, and where two or more hutches constitute a tier the trough of the top hutch may be utilized to provide a ceiling or roof for the next lower hut'chas shown in 10 which shows the absence of another ceiling and obviously both ceilings may be used to create a dead air space if deemed advisable to provide greater warmth and as shown .in

In localities of abnormally loiv tempera-- ture a saclror other means, not shovvn, cov ering the screen of the hutch doors 19, could be used if deemed advisable, plentv of fresh air being available through the remaining open screen vforming the outer wall of the hutch. In such cases however it common practice to place a nest box, not shown. in the hutch for the rabbit during the coldest wea-ther. 1

lt is now apparent that the hutch as specified above Will remain clean, constantly, and with a minimum of attention, hoivever the trough should have attention, which at tention Will require only a fevv moments of time as a cleaning means 27 is used for the purpose in a. manner to be described:

The cleaning means consists of a scraper composed of a block 28 having its bottom 29 shaped to conform to the form of trough with its top 30 flat to pass conveniently belovv the hutch iioors, a scraper blade 31 is attached to and covers the circular bottom and has its edges 32 projected beyond the i sides of the block, in a manner for either forward or backward operation, and a carpct 33, or other similar material, covers the body of the scraper over the scraper blade, but leaving the edges 32 of the scraper blade free for a purpose to be er;- plained.

Stra-ps 34: are rigidly secured to the block as shown in Fig. 7, and drag ropes, notl shown, are secured to the straps for the purpose of drawing the scraper from one end of the eXcreta trough to the other.

The action of the scraper such that pullingV on either drag rope and strapvviil cempress the carpet 33 and permit the free edge 32 of the scraper to engage the trough,

thus scraping all matter from the trough, f

to be followed immediately by the carpet Which will Wipe the surface to acoinparatively dry stage.

By referring to Fig. 2 itv is readily aps parent that the cleaning means can pass into or be Withdrawn from the trough 23 from the ends thereof and for this purpose closures 35 are provided that when closed Will seal the end of the trough thus `cornple-tely closing and lcompleting the above mentioned dead air space 26. The excreta may be deposited in a 'vessel 36 temporarily to eventually be used as fertilizer, this fertilizer having a value sometimes estimated at 15e per animal thus forming an item Worth consideration. f

The hutch 12 is completed by the addition of feeding and Watering means, the feeding means consisting of a tube 37, Whose inlet 28 is placed convenient to be served by the attendant, and having its discharge end 39 directed toa feeding vessel40; and a Water pipe il passed through theextended hutches' and provided with an outletk e2 positioned 'to discharge into a Water pan i3 secured in the end partition 18 between two hatches, terining the Watering means thus serving both hutches with one pan and by remote control.

This arrangement for Watering is rendered possible as by the use of a screen floor 6 any overiiovv occurring would not eil'ect the rabbit as it would immediately run inte the said trough. f

In Figs. 3 and 10 the feeding tube 33 for the lower hutches is'shoivn as being inclined with its inlet end 38 convenientto the at? tendant, and this is rendered possible by the sloping sides 24- of the trough which permits the tube to pass by the trough and. to the proper place above the feeding vessel and providing for conditions differing from that of the top hutch.

By this arrangement feeding may be ried on Without disturbing the animal, and With "equal facility in any of the hutches. u

l As the rabbits are inclined to disturb their food in looking .for choice morsels they Will paw and nose around their feeding vessel With 'a result that the vessel must be secured against dislodgment, and for this purpose of securement rods et are prepared having one of their ends turned to provide hoolrs 15, the hooks being adapted to engage thevessel 40, While the rod` asses through the interstices of the screen ii'oor thereby maintain-v ing the vessel in proper register with the end of the tube and preventing accidental dislodgment. lt is now evident from the above that ample fresh 'air is available for the rabbits atall times; that the'circulation can be efficiently controlled; that there can be no accumulation of excreta, to the'detri# mentof the rabbit; that the cleaning can be done at an exceedingly loW cost; that there Y trough.

canbe no'- contaminated food; that feeding can be accomplished with a minimum of vlabor; that even thev excreta may be turned to profit as fertilizer; vand thatdisease-is practically impossible with an immaculate hutch derived by theguse of the above described Another point of cleanliness in favor of Y this combination is that food contamination combination a resilient openwork floor, any

; excreta` trough disposedV toenclose the un-Y derside of the floor of saidhutch, and having' extended-sides l,arranged to 'provide a dead airspace therebetween, end closures for said trough adapted V.to provide for cleaning' purposes and to complete said dead airspace,

and means to clean said trough. l

2., A self? cleaning Vhutch comprising in combination hutches having screen floors, eXcreta troughsdisposed below the floor of saidhutches and havingextended sides arplete said dead air space, andmeans to clean -said troughs. Y

ranged to provide a dead air space beneath. said floors, said troughsbeing arranged toY centralize the accumulation of eXcreta therein, end closures for said troughs adapted to providefor cleaning purposes andy to com- 3. A self cle'a'mng Vhutch 'comprising in combination armultiplicity of hutches having screen floors, excreta troughs extended throughout thelength of andsecured to said troughs and `for insertion and withdrawal through said-sealing means. Y

5. A self cleaning hutch ycomprising in combination a multiplicity of tiers of hutches having an extended arrangement and having screen floors, inclined excreta troughs extended thruout the length ofgsaid tiersand adapted for slidabley engagement with saidl provided with sloping sides,fand positioned below each of said floors., and having its sides extended and secured to saidhutches to pro-V vide a dead air space adjacent and beneath said floors, and arranged to provide Va roofv for the successive under hutches, said slop'- ing sides being adaptedto permittheinstallation of gravity feeders to the under hutches, closures disposed at the en ds` of Ysaid troughs, and means to clean said troughs` thru said closures.

6. self cleanin combination'a multip icity oft-iersof hutches having an extended arrangementgandhaving screen oors,tresting boards, V excreta troughs extendedthruout the lengthy of said tiers and disposed with their centers ele-v vated and' its endsdepressed, and positioned below each of said floors, and adapted to.

provide a dead air space ajacent said floors,y

and arranged to providearoof for the successive under hutches, closures adapted to hutchv comprising V41n, .n

seal the ends of said dead'air space and to close the ends yof saidv troughs, and means'L to clean said troughs from ,the center to the ends thereof.- 1 '1 Intestimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

CECIL COSPER.

hutches, and having extended sides, and dis- Y posed to provide a dead air space beneath said floors, ysaid sides being arranged to provide aV minimum of retention of liquid matter thereon, as an aid to evaporation, and toV centralize the accumulationjofexcreta thereon, end closures'for said troughs 'adapted to provide forcleaning purposes and to complete said dead air space, and means to clean said troughs.

i4.' A self cleaningv hutch comprising in combination hutches arranged in tiers andV having v screen loors,i continuous excreta troughs extended throughout the llength of said tiers and positioned below-the respective floors, and disposed to vprovide a dead air n space belowand adjacent said floors, and

having sloping sides directed towardsv the center ofsaid troughs, closures adapted to seal the ends ofthe respective troughs and Y v Said dead air space, and VVa 4 cleaning means 

